[Nexus] The Black Dragon's Den XIV

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Cherub Talk]

Alysha sat in silence, listening to all of this info. There seemed to be way more significance to it for some people than others. And it was a lot to take in.

She would start heading to the library. Except she was supposed to go with the dark elf fellow. And she also didn't know where the library was. Sure, she could probably find it eventually. But why wander around like that, when he probably knew? So she would wait for him.

[bc56]

Cherub Talk

"So if she's a 'hero' (that's awfully vague), and he's a beastmaster, what am I?" Tethrik believes firmly that all information about your enemy is good information, and information about what information your enemy has is doubly so.

[Rebonack]

Zee gives Raril a kind smile. "I know. I was keeping an eye on you as well," she says. "Getting to peek at things is a privilege we can earn. I mostly used it to keep tabs on you and Karaglen."

Then the demon asks a question!

To which Zee glances over at him and gives a little shrug.

"It isn't that big of a deal. It just says-"

And then she vanishes.

POP!

Huh.

Well.

That was unexpected.

[Artemis97]

Raril blinks at the spot where his wife had been a second before.

"Uh... Zee? Zeee...?" He waves a hand through the empty air above her now vacant chair. Oh dear, she was gone. Not in an explosion but... what if she didn't come back?

The drow starts to panic. He jumps up from his chair and runs to his office, getting zapped in the process because he forgot the counterspell on the lock. "Gyah!"

He returns a moment later with a large mirror which he lays flat on the table, and then he starts scrying. Where was she?

[Chaotic Bob]

Well, that at least gets Xeni to stop draining his glass with such vigor.
Though Raril freaking out about it is...not really helping his urge to start again.

"Didn't seem intentional...but I don't think that's how she's really died in the past."
And then Raril comes back with a scrying mirror. Something which elicits a bit of alarm from both Xeni and the mouse on the table.
"Hey, Raril, maybe you shouldn't..."
Do not scry her! What if she has returned to her home realm? What if she is unshielded? Your mind is at risk!

That second voice is a telepathic one.
From the mouse.

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Cherub Talk]

Well.

That was unexpected.

Alysha blinks a few times, staring at the spot Zee just occupied. She had no idea what to do here. She didn't have any idea what just happened, so she didn't know what she could do.

[Artemis97]

Raril stops his scrying attempts and lets out a snarl, gripping the edge of the mirror tightly. He was shaking, and soon was sobbing.

"I just... I just don't want to lose her again."

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Cherub Talk]

Alysha quickly stands up so she can give Raril a comforting hug.

Don't worry. We'll find her. Okay? She'll be fine.

[Earl of Purple]

Cherub Talk

"Beastmaster?" Alfred looks at Ben, and the bellsprout looks back. "He's a plant. Not a beast. That's why I'm allowed to keep him in my flat. He's officially a houseplant, not a pet. My landlord has rules against pets." Which would limit Alfred to grass-types, probably smaller ones. Though he might be able to get rock-types, as pet rocks are officially an ornament.

Then there's some information about family stuff, which Alfred turns out as he eats the meal that was ordered for him. And Zee's disappeared. He frowns at that, but doesn't know anyone here well enough to offer any real assistance, and if she's teleported somewhere he has no way to track her.

[Chaotic Bob]

"Hey, I understand. But let's not freak out just yet."
Xeni is a bit more awkward about this comforting thing than Alysha is. No hugging here, mostly just uncomfortably staring around Raril.

Mostly because he was interrupted in the middle of his own moping and still hasn't really sorted that out.
"Maybe it was a...game thing, or something. Something came up and she has to deal with that before she comes back?"

[bc56]

Cherub Talk

Zee
Vanishes?
Tethrik seems surprised. After a pause, he finally says, "Bless." He looks around. "Alright. We don't know when she'll be back, so we're going to need to do this ourselves." Comforting people isn't his job. He definitely doesn't know how to do it, and he didn't pick up on the social cues. "We should split into teams. One to research the game and the icons, one to stop any more outbreaks, and probably now one to find the... whatever she is when she reappears. Actually, that gives me an idea. Do you have anything of hers? Something with her scent or essence on it?" Tethrik asks Raril.

[UncleWolf]

Drinking Sorrows Away

"Blaaaaaaaaaaaaah..." Nora moans, head on the bar. All she wanted to do at the moment was drink away the horrific image of a prison guard exploding in front of her and no amount of booze seemed to be helping. Well, that wasn't all she wanted to do. She also wanted to finally gt some companionship for a night. But there were problems with that...

"Why is it that every guy I find is convinced that I'm out there to suck out his soul or utterly uninterested in a one-night fling?" She wonders aloud before turning on her stool to face the bar. She's obviously a bit buzzed, the whiskey in her hand her second glass. She's dressed in what she considers stylish and attractive attire which means she's dressed in a nice sleeveless white blouse and bellbottoms. It puts a lot of her copper-brown skin on display and serves to help show off the gently pulsing blue lines of nannites. "Know what, yeah! What's the deal with that, huh?!?" She all but shouts at the bar. "Why is it so damned hard for a gal like me to find a guy? Are y'all scared or something?!?" She certainly sounds grumpy.

"Do I just need to shout I'm loose and needy and have a fully stocked liqueur cabinet at home?!?"

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Keep it down, would ya?]

Somewhere a little further down the bar from Nora, surrounded by a rather impressive pile of large empty bottles (and some smaller ones, and a handful of glasses), Gustav had been taking a quick nap. Not from being overly inebriated, mind you, though he's certainly got a bit of a buzz going...more that he didn't want to face going outside again just yet and he was highly unlikely to be thrown out after buying quite so much from the bar. There's a rather shiny and valuable little gem sitting in the till now that means he probably still has a bit of credit to spend if he wanted to.

But after Nora's performance he's certainly not sleeping any more! His typically flamboyant outfit safely hidden beneath a cloak for now, he's roused with remarkable speed and turns to stare at the voice, raising an eyebrow and glancing at the collection of unfinished beverages in front of him. "Psst, bartender, a cocktail glass! And that bottle! And that one!" With a deft hand and remarkable speed he swiftly mixes half a dozen drinks together, finished with a slice of lemon, and sends the drink down the bar with a gentle flick to bring it sliding to a halt right in front of her. All done out in the open with at least two sets of eyes on the glass, just in case anyone thinks he's up to something. He's putting on a show. He wants to be watched.

A quick touch of shapeshifting to appear hopefully a little more appealing to her, and he slides his stool back slightly in time with the glass sliding to a halt beside Nora, flipping the hood of his cloak down to reveal long, flowing, radiant red hair, brilliant yellow eyes, and a flawless grin that'd give the cheshire cat a run for his money. As for the drink? Bright, fruity, and exactly the same shade of red as his hair - that has to be deliberate. "Well, I imagine quite a few guys would be scared by a lady so willing to speak her mind. But right now I'd say that'd be their loss and my gain, because I'd be very happy to take you up on that offer."

[Morty]

[Drinking Sorrows Away]

"It really sounds like you hang out with the wrong kind of man," says a dusky-skinned young tiefling approaching Nora from the other side. Fayyaad is wearing a dark shirt with a sleeveless jacket over it, his tail lazily sweeping behind him. "People in the Nexus really do have trouble taking things at face value, though. Something about this place does it to them. Far be it from me not to answer the call of a distressed beauty, but it seems someone already has." He doesn't seem at all bothered by it, though.

[UncleWolf]

Not So Sorrowful Now

Nora actually looks a bit surprised when she sees not just one, but two men taking up her challenge. She takes a moment to look down at her drink and then up at the two before shrugging, tossing it back, and delicately taking the newly offered drink as well. "I'll be completely honest. I didn't actually expect anything more than possibly a bouncer throwing me out." She admits as she takes a sip of the new drink just to try it. "Maybe I ought to do this more often." She adds with a small shrug before offering her free hand to each of the two. "Call me Nora. And don't fret, I'm not selfish. There's enough of me for two or more." She promises.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Save the Sorrows for another day]

"Ah, a fellow gentleman I see." Gustav takes the offered hand from Nora while running his eyes over Fayyad briefly - while a little part of him might've liked to get acquainted with Nora and her drinks cabinet on his own, he's certainly not going to complain about the tiefling joining them. After all, they're both very easy on the eyes. "Well, Miss Nora, you may call me Gustav. I would suggest you perhaps don't make a habit of this particular method of acquiring some company, but I can't deny it's worked very well this time. And the gentleman opposite me i-is quite right, it wouldn't do to leave a lady in distress unanswered."

[Morty]

[Sorrow no More]

Fayyaad's eyebrows shoot up. Well, this is going to interesting places really quickly.

"My name is Fayyaad ibn-Haashid al-Zafar, but 'Fayyaad' is fine. As forward as the suggestion is, I don't see anything about it that I don't like. I do enjoy the company of men. I suppose it's your lucky day, then. Most of the time, the bouncer scenario would be far more likely. That, or a flock of men one would rather not look at too closely."

[UncleWolf]

Is it an African or European Sorrow?

"Okay. Two guys interested in me and each other? I'm either too drunk or not drunk enough to believe that." She declares before throwing back the mixed drink completely in one go. After she sets the glass aside, she looks between the two before waving a glowing hand around her own head with a muttered spell. The booze vanishes from her eyes and she looks at the two again before grinning and wrapping her arms around their shoulders to pull them into a light embrace. "Right! Okay! I've needed an excuse to crack open my century old bottle of scotch anyway. Gustav, Fayyaad, if you two truly are interested, how about we blow this place and proceed to do that elsewhere?" She asks, a rather dangerous purr coming to her voice as the glowing lines on her body begin to pulse more rapidly in excitement.

"And to share a rather expensive and good looking bottle of alcohol for a night. I promise to savor that as well as the both of you."

[Artemis97]

[Cherub Talk]

Raril stiffens a little at the hug, not used to the gesture, but quickly relaxes and seems to appreciate it.

The drow takes a deep breath and his expression becomes carefully neutral. "Right, you're right. We need to stay on mission." He mutters a remove poison spell over himself, counteracting the effects of the noxious poisons in his drink. "We were going to the Library?"

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Cherub Talk]

Alysha will take a step back and nod, some small amount of concern still on her face.

Yeah. I think I'm gonna follow you on this. Mostly because I'm still not exactly sure what we're looking for. Or what this library is like.

[Artemis97]

[Cherub Talk]

"It's an old place. Well, the library is old, not that it's been around for a long time, but longer than most places in the Nexus. I know it specializes in lore on things from beyond our realm. The Far. Elder Evils. Stuff like that. There should be something on the Empyreans there, if not the Fae." Raril explains. "Hm... I don't know what kind of critters frequent the place. Probably a few fishmen at the very least. Probably someone like that Janitor we met at the Arena. Wards that protect your sanity would be a good idea."

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Airspeed Velocity of an Unladen Sorrow]

"It is perhaps a little more hasty than I'd usually be. But, what can I say? You've caught me in a good mood." As Nora puts an arm round his shoulders, Gustav reciprocates with an arm round her waist. He raises an eyebrow at the rather casual display of magic, both in cleansing away the alcohol instantly and the pulsing glow across her body - more than just a pretty face, it seems. "Fine scotch, fine company, and a lady who seems to be full of surprises. How could I say no? Please, Nora, lead the way."

[Morty]

[Airspeed Velocity of an Unladen Sorrow]

Fayyaad throws an arm around Nora, and his tail wraps its way around her waist.

"I do love people who know what they want and get it," he says. "No use dawdling and delaying a good thing, is there? I'm ready when you are."

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Cherub Talk]

Alysha thinks for a moment.

Hm...don't think any of my protection spells will do that. Not unless it's an active attack. However...

She holds her right hand out to her side. There's a flash of light, and suddenly, she's holding what appears to be a giant, old fashioned skeleton key. In the shape of a banjo. With a lily pad by its head.

This keeps the sun from vaporizing me. Should help keep me safe from mental effects.

[Artemis97]

[Cherub Talk]

"Alright, then. Shall we go?" Raril asks, heading for the door.

Next stop the Howard Philip Memorial Library!

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Cherub Talk]

Alysha nods eagerly.

Yeah! To the library!

She is clearly excited for this.

She'll follow Raril out the door.

[Recaiden]

A certain private investigator, whose name has yet to be revealed (and he'd like to keep it that way, thanks), slips inside, holding the door behind him - for a moment - so that Oliver can get in easily. He looks like an ordinary guy - coat, fedora, olive skin, black hair, one of those faces everyone feels like they recognize. He's not, actually. He's the very idea of detectiveness, alloyed with theft, style, a few other things, and then dusted in powdered foreign culture. But let's just act like he's a normal guy.

He scans the room without turning his head and scowls. Huh. And he'd thought his local contact was exaggerating the seediness of this place. But no, it's everything he was warned it would be and more.

[CosmicHobbit]

[Private Investigation]

Oliver walks in. He's on the chubby side, with black hair and pale skin. He wears a black sweatshirt and jeans. He is also not alloyed in anything, let alone dusted.

He leads the detective to the counter, where he sits down and quickly orders a coffee. Can't be tipsy if he's discussing a serious case. He then turns to the detective and says, "Lemme get to the point. Earlier when I said I used to be notorious, I was referring to the fact that I used to pull off heists. Bank robbery, train heists, one time I even stole a peacock from a zoo! They used to call me The Obese Offender."

He looks down at himself, then looks back up. "I, uh, got skinnier. But that's not the point. My point is that if you need somebody to scout out people or areas, or if you need a highly trained professional to retrieve evidence, I can do it." He thinks for a bit, then goes on, saying, "For a bit of money, of course. I hate to profit off of this, I'd love to just do it for free, but MERC will be expecting a cut. Don't worry though, it'll be something like 5% of what I would normally charge."

[Recaiden]

The detective sits down beside Oliver and orders some tea.

Not the right time for coffee, not yet.

"I have heard of you while brushing up on this place."
He raises an eyebrow.
"Justice and expenses enough for you, basically? Let's see, at your normal prices-"

He withdraws a crumpled paper from his coat pocket, and unless some magic or weird coincidence interferes, when he unfolds it the paper will contain a list of Oliver's last five jobs, what he did and how much he was paid. After looking it over, the investigator nods.
"I think we can afford that. I don't usually subcontract these things, but then I don't usually work in this world. What do you want to know first?"

[CosmicHobbit]

Oliver's eyes go wide upon seeing his five most recent jobs. He shakes his head, as if to clear away doubts, and says, "Well, what I'd like to know first is which you think has more security, this cult or the cartel, and whether you have any information regarding where they may hide evidence, any inside spies, etc." He takes a sip of his coffee, then continues on. "We'll be at a significant disadvantage if we have nothing of that sort, though I can still probably find something. It'll just take more time."